Namahana Public Charter School set to open for 7th and 8th graders this August

Last Saturday, Namahana School in Kīlauea welcomed the 100 founding families and the seventh and eighth graders who will comprise the inaugural middle school classes beginning in August.

Namahana School is a tuition-free Hawaiʻi public charter middle and high school for the North Shore communities of Kauaʻi, and the first public post-primary school for the remote rural communities of Koʻolau and Haleleʻa, which have historically had to commute to Kapaʻa and beyond after grade six.

Saturday’s event was an official “Signing Day” for the students and a chance for parents and family members to visit the temporary Kula campus before classes begin next school year.

The school will welcome its first cohort of students in grades seven and eight in 2025, adding a new grade each year until reaching full capacity in 2030. Its educational model, guided by the international Big Picture Learning network and ʻāina-based learning, emphasizes cultivating deep connections with students’ communities and natural environment to build critical skills that can be applied to solving real-world problems.

“Today marks a historic moment as our inaugural classes of 2030 and 2031 come together for the first time, forging connections that will become the foundation of their Namahana journey,” said School Leader Dr. Kapua Chandler. “As we connect with our founding families, I’m humbled by their commitment to being part of something transformative. Our inaugural students aren’t just enrolling in a school – they’re helping to build one.”

Namahana’s educational model is guided by the international Big Picture Learning network and ʻāina-based learning, which emphasizes cultivating deep connections with students’ communities and natural environment to build critical skills that can be applied to solving real-world problems.

The school will emphasize locally sourced, sustainable food systems, and students were able to sample a tasting menu to help define Namahana’s farm-to-table school lunch options. Paulina Barsotti of Thyme Culinary Market offered them samples of kajiki with coconut lime rice, bagels with smoked marlin spread, and vegetarian entrees.

During the event, families were photographed for a wall dedicated to the charter school’s founding families and students were able to take surveys for their extracurricular and sports preferences next year.

Namahana has been laying its institutional and curricular groundwork since receiving its charter approval from the Hawaiʻi Public Charter School Commission in 2022. The school is planning for a new era for education on Kauaʻi’s North Shore.

The school is currently in an intensive fundraising campaign to raise $10 million for the first phase of construction on its dedicated 11.3-acre campus across from the post office in Kīlauea. In addition to purchasing the site outright in 2023 with widespread community support, Namahana has already raised $6.5 million toward its Phase I goal, and is racing to close the gap by the end of June to ensure that its inaugural eighth-grade class can move into permanent facilities by fall 2026.

While those facilities are being built, classes will be held at the former Kula School campus in Waipake, just five minutes away.

Namahana’s Director of Learning Tamra Moriguchi is excited to be part of growing education options on Kauaʻi, especially since she grew up on the North Shore and had to commute to Kapaʻa for middle and high school and eventually to Oʻahu for college.

“As someone born and raised in Kīlauea, it’s powerful to see people that I went to elementary school with now enrolling their kids here,” Moriguchi said. “To help create an institution that’s not only bringing education closer to home, but also reinvesting in our community and genuinely incorporating student feedback… I’m honored to be a part of it.”

The Namahana Education Fund manages the fundraising and construction process for the school campus, and generates ongoing community support to cover operational costs not met by the state’s per-student allocation. Since it was founded in 2020, the NEF has raised over $7 million in support of Namahana School.

“I’m impressed and super excited that Namahana is going to have hands-on, real-world learning opportunities,” said Liv Nelson, a rising eighth grader in Namahana’s first graduating class of 2030. “Most kids don’t get the chance to help create their school. It’s a big leadership role – we have the chance to impact future generations for both Namahana and our community. That’s a really cool thing.”

“(The students) are establishing a legacy of leadership, innovation, and deep community connection that will benefit generations of keiki to come,” Chandler said.

To learn more about Namaha School and its August 4 opening, the website is live with information.